ASSOCIATION OF OFFICERS OF PASCHIM BANGA GRAMIN BANK AFFILIATED TO AIBOC, AIUCBOF & AIRRBOF NATABAR PAL ROAD, CHATTERJEE PARA MORE, TIKIAPARA, HOWRAH 711 101 Circular No: - AOPBGB/ 63/2015-18 Date- June 06, 2018 TO ALL MEMBERS Dear Comrades, We reproduce hereunder the text of AIRRBOF Circular No. 46:2018 dated 4th June 2018 on AIRRBOF DELEGATION HELD DISCUSSION WITH SHRI RAVI MITTAL, ADDITIONAL SECRETARY, BANKING, GOVT. OF INDIA IN NEW DELHI ON 4TH JUNE, 2018 and AIRRBOF Circular No. 47:2018 dated 5th June 2018 on PURPORTED LETTER ISSUED BY RLC(C) HQRS TO CONVENER, UFRRBU ON AN ISSUE ALREADY DECIDED BY HON BLE SUPREME COURT. This is for your information. Comradely yours, (S.K.PAL) GENERAL SECRETARY Quote AIRRBOF DELEGATION HELD DISCUSSION WITH SHRI RAVI MITTAL, ADDITIONAL SECRETARY, BANKING, GOVT. OF INDIA IN NEW DELHI ON 4 TH JUNE, 2018 A delegation of AIRRBOF comprising of Com. Srijan Pal, Working President and Com. S.K. Bhattacharjee, General Secretary held detailed discussion with Shri Ravi Mittal, Addl. Secretary (Banking), DFS, Govt. of India in his office on 4 th June, 2018. Memorandum containing all related issues was handed over to Addl. Secretary by our General Secretary. The issues highlighted in the Memorandum were as follows: (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) Representation of officers. Prompt Corrective Action on RRBs imposed by NABARD. Strengthening the JCC Forum at NABARD. Early introduction of Pension Scheme in line with Commercial Banks in RRBs. Page 1 of 5
(v) Relaxation in Eligible Years of Service in Promotion Process. (vi) Uniform other allowances in RRBs. (vii) Stoppage of Deputation of officers at the level of Scale IV by Sponsor Banks to RRBs. (viii) Amendment of Service Regulation in RRBs to bring Parity in the matter of Payment of Gratuity. (ix) Appointment of officer and Workmen Directors in the Board of RRBs. (x) Amendment of Service Regulation to provide for Accumulation of PL upto 270 days. We attach the detailed memorandum for information of our members. We touched upon all the issues during discussion Addl. Secretary gave pertinent hearing to the issues raised by us. In regard to Pension issue he confirmed that the Supreme Court order is being examined by Law Dept. and early action to implement the same shall be taken. We harped on avoiding any adhoc amalgamation of RRBs to which the Addl. Secretary replied that the concerned State Govt.s are being sounded in this regard and Govt. shall take an objective view in the matter. The Meeting remained fruitful. Encl. The Memorandum Quote Unquote Date: 4 th June, 2018 To Shri Ravi Mittal, Additional Secretary (Banking), Dept. of Financial Services, Govt. of India, Ministry of Finance, Jeevan Deep Bldgs., 3 rd Floor, Sansad Marg, New Delhi 110001 Sir, MEMORANDUM ON ISSUES CONCERNING RRBS We would like to introduce ourselves as the largest organisation of the officers working in RRBs. Our Federation is affiliated to All India Bank Officers Confederation (AIBOC). Sir, we would like to draw your kind attention to the following issues concerning officers working in RRBs. (i) Representation of Officers In accordance with the provision of Regulation 32 of RRB Officers & Employees Service Regulation 2010 no officer shall become or continue to be a member or office bearer of, or otherwise directly or indirectly associated with any Trade Union of the employees of the Bank who are Workman within the meaning of the Act, or a Federation of such Trade Unions. Hence all RRBs should strictly adhere to the service regulation and withdraw check off facility extended to Page 2 of 5
Associations/Unions of officers at RRB level who are affiliated to Trade Unions having workmen as also members. We request you for your early action. (ii) Prompt Corrective Action Imposed by NABARD in RRBs We have vide our letter no. 2022:19:2018 dated 16 th April, 2018 drawn the attention of DFS to the infirmities of the PCA imposed by NABARD. A detailed analysis was done by us. We enclose a copy of our correspondence for your taking up the issues with NABARD. (iii) Strengthening the JCC Forum at NABARD Level Joint Consultative Council at NABARD Level headed by Chairman could not be an effective forum as the body remained only a recommendatory authority. The JCC should be suitably revamped to include the representative of DFS so that minor issues can be resolved at JCC Level and major one is referred to DFS with clear cut recommendation. (iv) Early Introduction of Pension Scheme in Line With Commercial Banks in RRBs With the order of the Hon ble Supreme Court on 25 th April, 2018 decks are cleared for early introduction of Pension Scheme in RRBs in line with Commercial Banks. In view of the fact that considerable time is required to firm up the scheme, formation of Trust Board at RRB Level and initiation of the Pension Payment we shall request you to advise all RRBs to start the preliminary work at the earliest. (v) Relaxation in Eligible Years of Service in Promotion Process In order to accelerate the promotional scope for officer of RRBs we shall request you to suitably modify the APR, 2010 so as to provide greater promotional scope to officers of RRBs to arrest the attrition of officers to other Banks. (vi) Uniform Other Allowances in RRBs Despite of issue of order of DFS dated 20 th Oct. 2016 in most of the RRBs other allowances were not revised by Sponsor Banks or revised at varied rates. It is, therefore, imperative that DFS should issue instructions to RRB to revise other allowances at par with Sponsor Banks without any further reference to Sponsor Banks. (vii) Stoppage of Deputation of Officers at the Level of Scale IV by Sponsor Banks to RRBs Some Sponsor Banks continue to depute officers even at level of Scale IV to RRBs whereas sufficient number of officers are available at that level in RRBs. DFS should issue strict advisory to Sponsor Banks to stop deputation of officers at level of Scale IV or below for posts other than that of General Manager to RRBs. (viii) Amendment of Service Regulation in RRBs to Bring Parity in the Matter of Payment of Gratuity According to Regulation 72(3) of RRB (Officers & Employees) Service Regulation, 2010 an officer on superannuation is entitled to gratuity based on last pay drawn whereas as per the proviso of the same Regulation in case of employees it is calculated on pay, dearness allowance, special allowance and officiating allowance. This provision is highly discriminatory and needs to be amended so that both officers and employees are entitled to gratuity on the basis of BP, DA & other eligible allowances. We seek your kind positive action in this regard. Page 3 of 5
(ix) Appointment of Officer and Workmen Directors in the Board of RRBs At present the Regional Rural Bank Act, 1976/2015 does not contain any provision for appointment of officer and workman Director in the Board of Directors. The Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Act, 1970 do have provision for appointment of officer and workman Directors in Nationalised Banks. In order to make the Board of Directors of RRBs more representative the Board should also include officer and workman Directors by suitable amendment in the relevant Act. (x) Amendment of Service Regulation to Provide for Accumulation of Priviledge Leave/Earned Leave Regulation 61(4) of RRB Officers & Employees Service Regulation, 2010 only provide for accumulation of Priviledge Leave (PL) upto 240 days. However, during the last salary revision in Public Sector Banks the accumulation of PL have been increased to 270 days. We shall request you to please make suitable amendment in the RRB Service Regulation to amend the provision of accumulation of PL to make it 270 days. Unquote QUOTE PURPORTED LETTER ISSUED BY RLC(C) HQRS TO CONVENER, UFRRBU ON AN ISSUE ALREADY DECIDED BY HON BLE SUPREME COURT We reproduce our letter addressed to the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central), Govt. of India, Ministry of Labour on the captioned subject for your information & record. We would like to draw your attention to the letter no. 21(03)/2018 IR purported to have been issued by Shri Avijeet Kumar, RLC(C) HQRs to the Convener, UFRRBU for holding a Conciliation Meeting on 11 th June, 2018 only on the issue of extension of pension to officers and employees of RRBs at par with Commercial Banks. In enclosing the purported letter we would like to point out that Hon ble Supreme Court in its order dated 25 th April, 2018 directed the Union of India to implement the Pension in RRBs in line with Commercial Banks within 3 months from the date of order. It seems queer that RLC(C) HQRs had fixed a Conciliation Meeting on 11 th June, 2018 with only one Union without any reference to any strike Notice or dispute. Be it please be noted that our Federation is the largest legally recongnised Trade Union of officers working in RRBs and we lodge strong protest in the matter. If the letter is really issued by RLC(C) HQRs he should be directed to either cancel the conciliation process or call all other Unions in the conciliation. You may appreciate that to maintain industrial peace in RRBs our suggestion should be accepted immediately. UNQUOTE Page 4 of 5
Page 5 of 5